crx - Chrome Extension Manager

Declarative Chrome extension manager using Chrome Enterprise Policy.

Overview

crx allows you to manage Chrome extensions across all profiles using a YAML configuration file. Extensions are installed via Chrome Enterprise Policy, ensuring they are applied to all browser profiles automatically.

Features

• Declarative configuration (YAML)
• Registry-based extension management (inspired by aqua)
• Cross-platform support (macOS, Linux, Windows)
• Interactive TUI for browsing extensions
• Force-install extensions across all Chrome profiles

Installation

go install github.com/sivchari/crx/cmd/crx@latest

Or build from source:

git clone https://github.com/sivchari/crx.git
cd crx
go build ./cmd/crx

Quick Start

# Initialize configuration
crx init

# Add an extension
crx add vimium

# Apply the policy
crx apply

Commands

Command	Description
crx init	Initialize configuration file
crx add <name>	Add an extension to configuration
crx list	List configured extensions
crx browse	Interactive TUI to browse and select extensions
crx apply	Apply the policy to the system
crx apply --dry-run	Show policy without applying

Configuration

Configuration file location: ~/.config/crx/config.yaml

registries:
  - name: standard
    type: github
    repo: sivchari/crx-registry
    ref: main

extensions:
  - vimium
  - dark-reader

settings:
  mode: force_install  # force_install, normal_install, or allowed

Installation Modes

Mode	Description
force_install	Extensions are installed automatically and cannot be removed by users
normal_install	Extensions are installed but users can disable/remove them
allowed	Extensions are allowed but not automatically installed

OS-Specific Notes

macOS

Requirements:

• macOS Big Sur (11.0) or later
• Manual profile installation required (Apple security restriction)

How it works:

1. crx apply generates a .mobileconfig profile on your Desktop
2. System Settings opens automatically
3. Click "Install" to apply the profile
4. Reload policies at chrome://policy or restart Chrome

Apply policy:

crx apply
# Follow the System Settings prompt to install the profile

Remove policy:

System Settings > Privacy & Security > Profiles > crx Chrome Extensions > Remove

Or via terminal:

sudo profiles -R -p com.crx.chrome.extensions

Limitation: Every time you add/remove extensions, you need to manually approve the profile in System Settings. This is an Apple security requirement and cannot be bypassed without MDM.

Linux

Requirements:

• Root access (sudo)

How it works:

• Writes JSON policy file to /etc/opt/chrome/policies/managed/
• Chrome reads this directory on startup

Apply policy:

sudo crx apply

Remove policy:

sudo rm /etc/opt/chrome/policies/managed/crx-extensions.json

Note: Fully automatic, no user interaction required after sudo.

Windows

Status: Not yet implemented

Manual workaround: Add registry entries to:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallForcelist

Each extension should be added as a string value:

• Name: 1, 2, 3, etc.
• Value: <extension_id>;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx

Registry

crx uses a registry to map extension names to Chrome Web Store IDs. This allows you to use human-readable names instead of 32-character extension IDs.

Registry Structure

crx-registry/
├── registry.yaml      # Index of all packages
├── schema.md          # Schema documentation
└── pkgs/
    ├── vimium.yaml
    ├── dark-reader.yaml
    └── ...

Package Format

name: vimium
id: dbepggeogbaibhgnhhndojpepiihcmeb
display_name: Vimium
description: The Hacker's Browser
homepage: https://vimium.github.io/
repository: https://github.com/philc/vimium
tags:
  - productivity
  - keyboard
  - vim

Using a Local Registry

For testing or private extensions:

crx add my-extension --registry /path/to/local/registry
crx apply --registry /path/to/local/registry

Extension Updates

Chrome automatically updates force-installed extensions using the update_url specified in the policy (Chrome Web Store). No action required from crx.

Troubleshooting

Check Applied Policies

Open chrome://policy in Chrome to see all applied policies.

Verify Extension Installation

Open chrome://extensions to see installed extensions. Force-installed extensions will not have a "Remove" button.

macOS: Profile Not Working

1. Check chrome://policy - ensure the policy shows as "Mandatory" not "Recommended"
2. Verify the profile is installed: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Profiles
3. Reload policies at chrome://policy or restart Chrome completely

Linux: Permission Denied

Ensure you're running with sudo:

sudo crx apply

Extension Not Installing

1. Verify the extension ID is correct
2. Check if the extension is available in Chrome Web Store
3. Some extensions (like uBlock Origin) have been removed due to Manifest V3 - use alternatives like uBlock Origin Lite

License

MIT